Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You can dance and play every kind of instrument.
But if the mind is blind and deaf, who is all this talk and preaching for?
Inside there is the fire of greed and a swirling dust-storm of doubt.
The lamp of real knowing isn't lit, and understanding never comes.
Dancing and music mean nothing if the heart inside is not awake.
Guru Amar Das pictures someone putting on a big show of worship. They dance. They play many instruments. They preach. But the mind is "blind and deaf." So who is the show for? Antar lobh bharam anal vaa-o — inside there is a fire of greed and a dust-storm of doubt. Deevaa balai na sojhee paa-ay — the lamp is not lit, and no understanding comes.
Think of a house with every light blazing outside for a party, but no one is home. From the street it looks alive. Inside it is empty and dark. The outward act is fine. What matters is whether someone is truly home inside. Guru Nanak's dance shabad (Shabad 31) makes the same point.
What is the difference between performing something and actually meaning it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI